CARLOS SANCHEZ

CARLOS SANCHEZ WAS RAISED IN NYC’S LOWER EASTSIDE VLADECK PROJECTS AND, BECAUSE CONRAD ROCHESTER LIVED NEARBY, HE BECAME A KIND OF MENTOR TO HIM (“HE’S SORTA LIKE MY BAMBI”). AS A SHY EIGHT-YEAR OLD, SANCHEZ STARTED DANCINGTO THE RADIO “LISTENING TO THOSE LATIN RHYTHMS,” AND WAS ENCOURAGED BY HIS MOTHER, “A GREAT SALSA AND MAMBO DANCER.” IN 1981 HE WENT TO THE GARAGE (AN EARLY MEMBER), THEN TO THE LOFT, WHERE THE PHYSICAL FREEDOM AND INCLUSIVENESS BROUGHT HIM OUT OF HIS SHYNESS BECAUSE “PEOPLE LIKED WHAT I HAVE TO OFFER.”

HE TRAINED IN MARTIAL ARTS FROM AN EARLY AGE AND WAS A MEMBER OF THE SCHOOL’S TUMBLING TEAM. AT THE CLUBS, SANCHEZ BECAME EXPERT IN SLEEK TRANSITIONAL MOTIONS, SLIPPING THROUGH THE CROWDS LIKE A DOLPHIN SWIMMING IN POWERFUL DIVES. SANCHEZ IS KNOWN FOR HIS GENTLE HELPFULNESS, AND STYLISTICALLY FOR FLIPS THAT “FLOW AND GO” BETWEEN THE FLOOR AND AIR, RAPID ATTACK AND RECOVERIES, THE WAY HE CAN SLIDE IN AND OUT OF THE CIPHER. SANCHEZ WORKED FOR THE NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT FROM 1989 THEN MOVED TO THE NEW YORK FIRE DEPARTMENT IN 1995.

A TRUE CLUBHEAD, HE CLAIMS, “IT WAS ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC AND THE BROTHERHOOD AND FAMILY AND MUSIC AND SISTERHOOD. YOU DO YOUR OWN THING. YOU GO TO WORK STRESS-FREE THE NEXT DAY AND BECAUSE YOU’VE RELEASED ALL THE NEGATIVITY. IT JUST BOUNCES OFF YOU.”

TODAY, SANCHEZ ENJOYS DANCING SALSA AND MAMBO, AND IS BECOMING INTERESTED AGAIN IN THE REINVIGORATED HOUSE DANCE SCENE.